Fire-alarm system.



G. H. MATTHEWS.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 191sv Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

M xii/army GEORGE HENDER MATTHEWS, 0F UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 4, 1914.

Application filed November 25, 1913. Serial No. 802,963.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. MATTHEWS, of Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Alarm Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itfire in a part of a building may be indicated automatically by means of an alarm or visual signal or both, at a place or places in or near the building where a person or persons are most likely to hear or observe the same.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating my improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the circuit closing devices andFig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

My improvements are applicable for 1n any building and may be employed to sound an alarm and light a lamp in the bedroom of a private residence in case\of fire starting in the cellar; or they may be used in a school-house, factory, garage or other building, and control one or more signals and one or more lights, which may be located interiorly or exteriorly of the building or both, so that in the event of a fire, persons inside or outside of the building may be promptly notified and warned-to turn in an alarm to the fire department.

When the devices are located in a private residence, both an alarm and a lamp may be located in the bed-room, so that the existence of a fire in a distant part of the building will cause the sounding of the alarm to awaken the sleeper and also furnish light to enable him to quickly clothe himself and prepare to have the fire extinguished. The devices which cause the operation of the signals may be located in the cellar where fire might occur from an overheated furnace.

In constructing my improvements, I employ a rectangular box 1 of suitable material and provided with a plurality of partitions 2, 3, 4, the space between the partitions Z, 3, forming a compartment or chamber 5, for a purpose hereinafter described. Within one end of the box 1, two circuit closers G, 7 are located. One contact spring of each of these circuit closers is provided with a button 8 of insulating material and these buttons are mounted and guided in perforated arms 9 secured to the end of the box.

A longitudinally movable rod or shaft 10 passes freely through suitable perforations 1n the partltions 3, 4 and to one end of this rod; or shaft, a cross-head 11 is secured in posit on to engage the push buttons of the clrcuit-closers. rod or shaft 10 and bears at its respective ends against partition 3 and a pin 13 passing transversely through the rod or shaft,sairl sprlng normally tending to force the latter in a direction to cause the cross-head '11 to close the circuit closers. One end of the rod or shaft 10 terminates within the com partment 5 and is provided with an eye 14 to receive one end of a metal fuse l5,-the other end of said fuse being connected with an eye 16 near one end of a short threaded rod 17 passing through the partition 2.

In order to move the rod or shaft 10 rear- 'wardly to open the circuit closers 6 and 7,

a manually operable screw 18 passes through oneend of the box 1 and engages the cross head on said rod or shaft. This 'screw may be used to open the circuits controlled by the circuitclosers, and it may also be employed to move the rod or shaft during the operation of attaching the fuse. Normally the fuse 15 will hold the rod or shaft and its cross-head in withdrawn position, with the circuit-closers open.

It will be observed that the fuse 15 is located within the compartment 5, and in this compartment, a suitable quantity of highly inflammable material 19, such as explosive powder, is located, and intended, when exploded, to supply sufiicient heat to blow the fuse 15 and thus release the rod or shaft 10 and cause the closing of the circuits controlled by the circuit closers 6. 7.

A spring 12 encircles the with the result of causing the alarm cir-- tion to another of the fuse.

through this tube, the fuse 20 projects and The circuit controlled by one of the circuit-closers may contain one or more electric lamps l9 which may be located at any desired place or places. For instance, one lamp may be located outside the building and another in some room within the building. The circuit which includes the other circuit closer may also include one or more alarm devices 19", such as. electric bells'or electric horns, and these may be located at a suitable place or places, i

A fuse 20 will be strung about a cellar or other room where a fire is liable ,to occur, and this fuse will be inclosed withinpaper tubing 21. A tube 22 enters the box 1 and terminates within the compartment 5 in close proximity to the inflammable material therein. Should a fire occur in the cellar, the paper tubing would be sufficiently burned away to permit'the fuse to become ignited. The fuse would then burn rapidly and thus carry sufficient fire to the inflammable material in the compartment 5 to ignite the same and cause the blowing of the fuse 20,

cuit to be closed.

The paper tubing in which the fuse is inclosed will serve to protect the fuse to prevent the latter from being accidentally ignited when no actual cause'foralarm exists, but it will burn quickly and permit fire to promptly reach the fuse when a fire breaks out. Furthermore; in case the fuse becomes broken within the tube, the burning of the tube will convey fire from one broken see- My improvements are simple in construction; accurate and sure in operation, and are applicable for use in any building.

Various slight changes might be inade in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope, and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In an alarm system, the combination with a circuit closer for an alarm circuit, of

moe ei a spring-actuated device for operating said circuit closer, a fuse normally holding said device withdrawn, a fuse adapted to extend throughout an area where fire might occur a paper tube inclosing said last-mentioned fuse, and an inflammable body to be ignited by said last-mentioned fuse to blow the firstmentioned fuse.

2. In an alarm system, the combination with a box, a circuit-closer for anjalarm cir- 3 cuit, in said box, a' spring-actuated device in said box for operating said circuit-closer, a fuse normally holding said device withdrawn, inflammable material adjacent to said fuse, and a fuse extending into said box for igniting the inflammable materlal said last-mentioned fuse adapted to extend from the box and throughout a room in. which a fire is liable to occur.

3. In an alarm system, the combination with a box, two circuit closers therein, a spring-actuated rod in the box havlng a part to close both of said circuit closers snnultaneously, a fuse normally holding said rod withdrawn, inflammable material near said fuse, and a fuse entering the box and terminatingin close proximity to said mfiammable-material, said last-mentioned fuse adapted toextend throughout a room m which a fire is liable to occur.

- 4. In an alarm system, the combinatlon with a box, of a circuit closer therein for closing the circuit of an alarm device, a spring-actuated rod therein, a manually operable screw for moving said rod to permit the circuit closer to open, a fusenor mally holding the rod withdrawn, inflammable material adjacent to the fuse 1n the box, and a fuse entering the box and terminating in position to ignite said inflam mable material, said last-mentioned fuse adapted to extend throughout a room 111 which a fire is liable to occur. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed tlllS specification in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

GEORGE HENDEB MATTHEWS,

Witnesses:

C, S. haulers, A. R. KK AMER. 

